Excavator.



PATENTED APR. 30

W. R. MARTIN.

EXCAVATOR.

APLxcATIoN HLBD JUNI: 19,1906.

2 SHEETS-811mm.

WHVESSES;

nu Nomzls PETER: co., wAsHmamN, u. c`

PATENTED APR. 30, 1907.

W. R. MARTIN.

EXGAVATOR.

APPLlcATwN FILED JUNI: 19.1906.

2 BKEETS-SHEET 2.

` Wizz m N mi@ fw www n m4.

WHA/155555.-

TIETTED STATES PATENT EETCE.

EXCAVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 30, 1907.

Application filed Juno 19, 1906. Serial No. 322,458.

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM R. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Idaho Falls, in the county of Bingham and State of Idaho, have invented a new and useful Excavator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to excavators and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of its parts as hereinafter shown and described.

The object of the invention is to provide.

an excavator especially adapted for ditch digging purposes and which is provided with a vertically adjustable plow associated with a conveyor. The plow loosens the earth and shunts the same upon the conveyer which in turn elevates the earth and deposits it in the body of the excL vater. A conveyer is arranged in the bottom of the body of the excavator and when a certain amount of earth has been deposited lin said body, a hinged flap is depressed by means of which a clutch is permitted to engage one of the traction wheels whereby rotary movement is transferred from the said wheel to the shaft operating the conveyer in the body of the excavator. The earth is therefore conveyed out of the said body of the excavator. A pivoted tail gate is provided at the end of the body and means is associated with said tail gate for limiting the swing thereof. The earth elevating conveyor is operatively connected with one of the traction wheels.

In the accompanying drawings z-F igure l. is a top plan view ofthe excavator. Fig. 2 is an elevation of one side of the excavator. Eig. 3 is an elevation of the opposite side of the excavator. `Fig. LI is a longitudinal sectional view of the excavator. Fig. 5is a detail bottom plan view of a clutch used upon the excavator. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of a portion of belt that may be used upon the excavator.

The excavator consists of the body portion 1 in the bottom of which is located the endless belt or apron The apron passes around the roller 3 located at the rear end of the body 1. and around the roller 4 located at an intermediate point of said body 1. The sleeve 5 is attached to the under side of the body l and the axle 6 p asses through the said sleeve. The traction wheel 7 is attached to one end of the shaft 6 and the traction-wheel 8 is attached to the other end of said shaft.

The wheel 7 is adapted to operate the earth.

elevating conveyer while the wheel S is adapted to operate at intervals the conveyer 2. The gear wheel 9 is located upon the axle which is adjacent the traction wheel 7. Said gear wheel 9 is in mesh with the gear wheel 10 which is journaled upon the stub shaft 11. The sprocket wheel 12 is attached to the side of the gear wheel 10. The clutch 13 is feath ered upon the axle 6. The spring arm 14 is attached at one end to the side of the body 1 and is provided with an elongated loop which receives the clutch 13. The tension of the spring of arm 14- is such as to have a tendency to 'force the clutch away from the .body 1 and into engagement with the gear wheel 9 whereby the said gear wheel 9 is made to rotate with the axle 6.

The flexible connection 15 is attached at one end to the free end of the spring arm 1-1 and passes through the eye 16 located upon the side of the body l. The forward end of the connection 15 is attached to the working end of the lever 17 which is fulcrumed to the side of the body l in the vicinity of the front end thereof. the free end of lever 17 to the rear that the flexible connection 15 will be moved longitudinally toward the front end of the excavator and that the clutch 13 will be drawn out of engagement with the wheel 9 and that by reversing the movement of the lever 17, the spring arm 14 will carry the clutch 13 into engagement with the gear wheel 9. The conveyer casing 1S is adapted to move longitudinally in up and down directions. The said casing 1S is mounted upon the wheels 19 which are suitably journaled to the body l". The cutting plow 2() is attached to the lower end of the couveyer casing 1S. The roller 21 is iournaled near the lower end of said casing and the roller 22 is journaled at the upper end thereof. The belt 23 passes around the said rollers 21 and 22 and serve as an earth elevating conveyor. The shaft of the roller 22 is provided with the lateral extension 24. to the end of which is attached a sprocket wheel 25. The sprocket chain 26 surrounds the sprocket wheels 25 and 12 and is adapted to transmit rotary motion 'from the wheel l2 to the wheel 25 and its attached shaft. It will thus be seen that wheel 7 is employed 'for supplying motion to the conveyor 23.

A means for raising and lowering the conveyer casing 1S is provided and which consists of a shaft 27 journaled in the body l and having at one end the handle or lever 2S.

It is obvious that by throwing y Ioo The gear Wheels 29, 29 are fixed to the shaft 27 and mesh with the gear bars 30, 30 located upon the edges of the casing 18. It is obvious that by rotating the shaft 27 by means of' ditch and limit the depth of cut of the plow wheel 37.

The flexible connections 34, 34 are attached at their lower ends to the ends of the arms 31 behind their pivotal points and the upper ends of said connections 34 wind about the shaft 27. The arm 35 ,is pivotally attached at one end to the outer side of the body 1 and carries at its rear end a pulley 36 which rests upon the chain 26 and is adapted to take up the slack in the same. Such slack will occur when the casing 18 is elevated.

The gear wheel 37 is located upon the axle 6 adjacent to the traction wheel 8. The clutch 38 is feathered upon the axle and is adapted to engage and disengage the gear wheel 37. The gear wheel 39 meshes with the gear wheel 37. cated upon the stub shaft 40. The sprocket wheel 41 is attached to the side of the gear wheel 39 and rotates with the same. The shaft of the roller 3 is provided with the lateral extension 42 upon the end of which is located the gear wheel 43. The sprocket chain 44 passes laround the gear wheels 41 and 43. The clutch 38 is attached to the spring arm 45 and the flexible connection 46 is fixed. at its rear end to the said spring arm 45 and passes through the eye 47 and is attached at its forward end to the working end of the lever 48. lt will thus be seen that as the upper end of the lever 48 is moved toward the rear, that the spring of arm 45 will permit the clutch 38 to engage the side of the wheel 37 and thus cause the same to rotate with the axle 6 and transmit rotary motion to the roller 3 which in turn will move the conveyer 2. The said conveyer 2 is supported at its edges by the rollers 48', 48 which are journaled to the inner faces of the sides of the body 1. The flap 49 is pivoted at its upper corners between the sides of the body 1 and the shaft 49 is xed to an extension of one of the pivots of said flap.

It 'will-be observed that as the flap 49 is depressed, that the lever 48 is correspondingly moved and the flexible connection 47 moves so as to permit the clutch 38 to engage the Consequently when sufficient earth has been deposited upon the flap 49 to depress the same, the conveyer 2 is auton matically started in motion and the earth is carried to the rear end of the body 1 and Said gear wheel 39 is lo i passes out of the same under the pvoted tail gate 50.

The spring 51 is attached at one end to the side of the body 1 and at its other end to the lever 48. The tension of said spring is such as to have a tendency to maintain the flap 49 in an elevated position. Consequently as soon as the earth is passed away from the flap, the same will swing up upon its pivots. The shaft 52 is journaled in the forward portion of the body 1 and is provided at each end with a drum 53, 53. The lever 54 is attached to the said shaft 52 and is adapted to be used for rotating the same. The flexible connections 55, 55 wind at their forward ends about the drums 53, 53 and extend back and are attached to the pivoted tail gate 50. It is obvious that by rotating the shaft 52 and through the flexible connections 55, the swing of the tail gate 50'may be limited. The forward end of the body 1 is mounted upon the pivoted axle 56.

As above stated, the excavator is especially adapted to be used for cutting ditches but it may be used for other purposes, for instance, a conveyer 23 of the pattern as illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawing may be used and when so used, the machine may be used to advantage for digging potatoes. The

horizontal portions f the conveyer 23 carry 95 the potatoes up and the earth is permitted to fall from the same through the space between said horizontal portions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An excavator comprising a body portion, traction wheels supporting said body portion, a conveyer horizontally located .in said body portion, means operatively connecting said conveyer with a traction wheel whereby the said conveyer is moved at intervals, an earth elevating conveyer attached to said body portion, an earth cutting means attached to the last said conveyer, and a means operatively connected with a traction wheel for imparting movement to the earth elevating conveyer.

2. An excavator comprising a body portion, traction wheels supporting the same, a conveyer horizontally located in the body portion, means operatively connecting said conveyer with a traction Vwheel whereby the conveyer is moved at intervals, a flap pivoted in the body portion above the conveyer, a lever connected to the pivot end of said flap, means operatively connecting said lever with a clutch mechanism associated with the means for transmitting motion to the conveyer, an earth conveyer attached to the IOO body portion, an earth cutting device attached to the last said conveyer, and means connecting said earth elevating conveyerl with a traction wheel whereby the last said conveyer is operated.

cutting device and adapted to run upon the f surface of the earth.

4. An excavator comprising a load carrying receptacle having an endless .conveyor 15 bottom7 a 'Hap pivotod in said receptacle and operable by the load accumulating in the receptacle 'for interi'nittently actuating said endless conveyor and means attaching the )ivot of the Hap and connecting with the endzo l less conveyor actuating m lans.

Y ln testimony that I claim the Yforegoing as my own, l have hereto alliXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM R. MARTIN. litnessest O. A. JonANNnsnN, L. A.. Ihn'rl'c'n'r. 

